Article

The War For Talent

When you’re scouting out a new career move it can almost feel like you’re at war. Your success depends on how well you are prepared to win. Are you ready?

Modern day job seekers, hiring managers, and recruiters are using technology like never before to nail down the best outcomes. Exploring new opportunities for your career can be done from your couch, and the smartest companies are crafting new ways to identify and target the best people to hire. It’s been described as a 'war' for talent, and the stakes have never been higher for everyone involved.

Whether it’s your final semester in college and campus recruitment is on full swing, or you’re looking to move onto a new challenge from your old job, the game has changed for both starting and developing your career.

We’ve pulled together five trends that are shaping this massive assault in the job market, and offer these thoughts on how job hunters can fight fire with fire.

Traditional job boards are being challenged, however, by apps like Jobaware and Ziprecruiter, which some say have the potential to transform the job ecosystem. These apps allow users connect to listings across a wide variety of job boards like Indeed, Monster, SimplyHired, Glassdoor etc. and apply en masse to those that fit their skills, thereby increasing coverage. Candidates don’t even have to upload a resume, but can connect directly to their LinkedIn account and apply for suitable open positions.

2. Social recruitment is maturing

Searching and applying for jobs via social media continues to rise in frequency. Based on a research by Jobvite in 2014, it was found that 94% of recruiters were active on LinkedIn (compared to only 36% of the job seekers- so don't ignore it!). Easily viewable and downloadable profiles available on LinkedIn attract talent hunters to candidates’ profiles, and help determine suitable matches. According to the US hiring trends study by iCIMS, the computer service industry witnessed the highest number of applications submitted via social platforms in 2015 and LinkedIn emerged as the most sought after social network by candidates to apply for jobs. It is expected that by end of 2016, LinkedIn will emerge as one of the strongest job providing media in the US. Employee referrals (a historically well-established channel) will of course continue to play a crucial role in sourcing applicants as well, but rising social media use enables active job seekers to connect more easily with their network and gain these precious referrals. That is why successful networking tactics continue to be important – you never know who might be able to refer you for a job with the credibility that a personal reference brings.

3. Videos are making a splash

We have written about this very recently, but video streaming apps and platforms are starting to attract recruiters, giving them a better-rounded picture of the candidate’s interpersonal skills along with their other qualifications and achievements. Platforms like CareerSushi and HireVue are offering innovative interactive interviews, making it easier for job seekers to present a compelling profile to recruiters and hiring managers. As evolving technology contributes to the idea of a virtual workforce and managing work and projects via collaborative tools gets easier, the job search industry is starting to look seriously to video capabilities to help source and connect organizations to in-demand potential hires. It's probably not the right answer for everyone, but something to consider if you've got a powerful personality to show the market.

4. Reverse investigation puts employers under the microscope

Smart job seekers have always researched the companies they apply to, but they are increasingly conducting this research through platforms like GlassDoor, LinkedIn, and Facebook. They are digging deeper into detailed information about their prospective company, its hiring practices, salaries, and even reviews from existing and previous employees. All in service to find out if joining the company is going to be the right decision for them. Job hunters are also investigating other employees who work at the firm, gathering information on the organization to make the best decision about what kind of company and culture they want to work within.

5. There’s some weird new stuff happening, too

Some companies are deploying innovative techniques to differentiate themselves and attract the best talent. Recently, Uber ran a hiring campaign that recruited hard-to-source engineers by targeting them when they were actually taking a ride in an Uber car, and sending them a little code game for them to complete during their ride. This unique approach enabled the company to identify and differentiate themselves to premium candidates in geographies with a high concentration of tech jobs and lots of competition for qualified candidates. As the need for specialized talent heats up, expect companies to continue to use unique recruitment campaigns to both show the candidate pool that they are innovative, and establish a bond with qualified candidates that echoes their corporate brand.

“May you live in interesting times.” – ancient Chinese curse

We do seem to live indeed in interesting times, and when you’re scouting out a new career opportunity it can almost feel like you’re at war.

Arm yourself to meet this challenge with the resources, strategy, and plan to make sure you can win the fight. Start off by clarifying what victory will look like, and create a SWOT to identify the core strengths that distinguish you from your peers. Your personal brand is your source of advantage, so you’ll need to leverage this in order to win. Then make sure you put together a solid plan to succeed. Hire a coach, or work with a friend, and determine the steps you’ll need to follow to move from your current position to the future ideal that you envision.

Get ready. And get your marching orders.

Cause it’s like a war out there and your success depends on how well prepared you are to win.

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Author Profile

A 25-year marketing veteran, Jay designs innovative and warmly human marketing solutions that intersect strategy and technology. He cut his marketing teeth in CRM, and since then has built innovative brands, products, and services for pharmaceuticals, consumer packaged goods, automotive, and technology brands across global markets. He strives to solve important, challenging problems for businesses to transform targets into customers, and customers into raving fans.
Jay's experience with building brands in both corporate and agency environments to co-create solutions with actual customers -- designing and building experiences that meet or exceed sales objectives and garner positive Net Promoter Scores. He provides leadership for digital launches and marketing innovation projects, closely managing his team and his P&L, while keeping a razor-sharp focus on customer need. 8+ years of leading marketing research projects have honed Jay's ability to spot insights and design plans to motivate and gain changes in customer behavior.
He is adept at managing projects from ‘cradle to grave’, including ascertaining key customer insights and goals through market research and the UX process, managing vendors, developers, staff, QA, and analytics to ensure the right end product, with the metrics to prove its worth.
Other tid-bits:
- A user-experience-minded strategic planner
- Strong networker, decision-maker, and communicator
- Able to meet challenging deadlines and deliver powerful results
- Manager of productive teams of engaged employees
- Proven experience in the application of marketing best practices
- International marketing consultant experience
Specialties: Multichannel Marketing, Digital Marketing Strategy, Cross-Channel Marketing, Customer Segmentation, Social, Mobile, Digital Strategy, Market Research, Lead Generation, Content Marketing, websites, email campaigns, mobile apps, social, and rich media.

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